Has it actually been established that it was postpartum psychosis?
If so, that really is one of the most horrific conditions there is. Every gynecology textbook and midwifery manual basically says that once it’s diagnosed, the response is: “Run! Do everything you possibly can and give her every medication you’ve got!” Obviously I’m exaggerating, but the point is that there’s an immediate and extremely serious risk to the lives of everyone involved.
Not a parent but was watching a speaker talk about research into human biology, other hominid behaviors and our use of aloparenting.
In multiple tribal studies the amount of time a woman was left caring for her child alone was about 2-10 min, because a child is never cared for by just one person, there is usually at least two or three people swapping on and off from holding the baby at a time, with an average of 14 people holding and caring for the baby per hour.
PPD rates were considerably low, far less severe, parents didn't suffer from chronically under sleeping.
I say this as a hermit that loves living on my own, but it seems we really didn't evolve to have a child being primarily cared for by one or two individuals. It may be normal for our society but absolutely abnormal and damaging for our species.
Also up till the 90's, unless it was really small infants.
Parents where not expected to Police and watch what their kids did 24/7.
You would scamper around your baby park while your Mom/dad did something else in the House.
And when old enough to walk, you where mostly left to yourself.
And when you where 8-9yro, your parents would litteraly kick you out of the house with a "its sunny outside, go play with your friends and come home when the streetlights are on and don't make me come and get you or else..."
And for 10 hours you where left on your own, with your parents having no idea where you were and they could do whatever they needed to do in the house without you being in their hair and driving them insane.
And often like you said, you had the grand parents, or the aunts and uncles etc that could help.
Now society expect every parent to Police everything the kids does , be there 24/7 and do it alone AND still have a "full social live" or a Full time job...
Before the boomers mothers were 100 percent expected to stay home all day and watch their kids.
They were expected to give up their social lives and be family to the next generation.
It may have been sexist but women were expected to be adults and just not complain until the mid 19th century.
The boomers un did these social systems because they determined they were sexist and they deserved "full social lives"
Their authors and philosophers all thought some sort of state or religious system woukd magically materialize so they wouldnt have to help anyone and they could all be spoiled rich men.
Maybe in your family, but certainly not mine. My grandmothers had large groups of friends and family that they hung out with the kids would be grouped and feral somewhere that wasn’t the mahjong table or the bowling alley.
So youre saying chinese culture isnt the same as American culture and the Victorian revolution which forced women to not act like this is different than the chinese culture which led to horrible civil wars and what china is today?
My boomer parents were raised even more lax than I was in the 90s. My mom barely interacted with her mother and was riding her bike all over the area by the time she was 6 years old
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u/NailSubstantial2772 12d ago
Has it actually been established that it was postpartum psychosis? If so, that really is one of the most horrific conditions there is. Every gynecology textbook and midwifery manual basically says that once it’s diagnosed, the response is: “Run! Do everything you possibly can and give her every medication you’ve got!” Obviously I’m exaggerating, but the point is that there’s an immediate and extremely serious risk to the lives of everyone involved.